Chocolate Orpingtons

[bk15]

Nope, that's impossible... females express chocolate with a single gene... it takes 2 chocolate genes to express in a male, but they can carry a single gene that hides under another color, thus being split...

Alright thanks for the advice!!!

 

[WVduckchick]

My chocolate and black split cockerels. Shaping up pretty nicely.

 

[h2oratt]

My chocolate and black split cockerels. Shaping up pretty nicely.

Looks nice. I have a black and three choc.

 

[h2oratt]

Nope, that's impossible... females express chocolate with a single gene... it takes 2 chocolate genes to express in a male, but they can carry a single gene that hides under another color, thus being split...

This is hard for me to understand. I am used to mammal genetics. Why does the female only need one gene?

 

[Ravynscroft]

This is hard for me to understand. I am used to mammal genetics. Why does the female only need one gene?

I once saw an excellent explanation on this, well spelled out, but I can't seem to find it now... I'm sorry... I will try this in non-technical terms since I really can't remember them and don't want to really mush things up...

What it comes down to is that chocolate is a sex linked recessive gene... while most genes have room for 2 copies in each gender, the chocolate gene only has 1 spot in females... if it's there, it shows... but with males there are the 2 spots and both are needed to express it...

 

[h2oratt]

I once saw an excellent explanation on this, well spelled out, but I can't seem to find it now... I'm sorry... I will try this in non-technical terms since I really can't remember them and don't want to really mush things up...

What it comes down to is that chocolate is a sex linked recessive gene... while most genes have room for 2 copies in each gender, the chocolate gene only has 1 spot in females... if it's there, it shows... but with males there are the 2 spots and both are needed to express it...

Ok, but I have read that chickens don't have genes like mammals. Where as a mammal boy is xy a female is xx but in birds it isn't the same, correct?

 

[h2oratt]

If I want to do a breeding experiment. I only have a lavender pullet. If I put her in with my black cockerel, if he is split to choc. Willl I get choc chicks? If he isn't split I would get black? How long would I need to keep her away from any other male before I could know her eggs are fertilized from the black guy?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Ok, but I have read that chickens don't have genes like mammals. Where as a mammal boy is xy a female is xx but in birds it isn't the same, correct?

Yes, that was in the info I can't find or remember all of right now... *I think* it is similar to being reversed, but different... ugh, I will keep looking for it... it wasn't on BYC and it wasn't what I was looking for, just something I had stumbled across and remember parts of... :/

Sorry I'm not more clear for you...

 

[Ravynscroft]

If I want to do a breeding experiment. I only have a lavender pullet. If I put her in with my black cockerel, if he is split to choc. Willl I get choc chicks? If he isn't split I would get black? How long would I need to keep her away from any other male before I could know her eggs are fertilized from the black guy?

Isolate her until you get about 3 or so eggs that are infertile from her... or approx 3 weeks...

If he's carrying chocolate, then you would get some chocolate pullets...

ETA: Lavender will breed visually like black when bred to other colors... so...


Black Male carrying Chocolate X Black Female = 25% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 25% Black Males, 25% Chocolate Females, 25% Black Females

But all offspring will also carry the Lavender gene from the hen... I don't know if that interacts with chocolate like blue does or not, btw...

 

[h2oratt]

Isolate her until you get about 3 or so eggs that are infertile from her... or approx 3 weeks...

If he's carrying chocolate, then you would get some chocolate pullets...

ETA: Lavender will breed visually like black when bred to other colors... so...


Black Male carrying Chocolate X Black Female = 25% Black Males carrying Chocolate, 25% Black Males, 25% Chocolate Females, 25% Black Females

But all offspring will also carry the Lavender gene from the hen... I don't know if that interacts with chocolate like blue does or not, btw...

Ok, thank you.